5 TEDx talks every marketer should watch

Think outside the box and be inspired.

With TEDx recently returning to Perth, we were inspired to look back over some of the best talks aimed at our industry -ones that offer insights into creativity and how to best communicate ideas to your customers.

1. How to make a splash in social media – Alexis Ohanian

Alexis Ohanian co-founder of Reddit, delivers a hilariously entertaining speech using “Mr Splashy Pants” as an example of how internet marketing can work. Greenpeace opened voting polls online for users to vote on a name for the whale they will track for their anti-whaling campaign; Mr Splashy Pants won by a landslide.

This name unexpectedly created huge marketing opportunities for Greenpeace. Ohanian highlights the importance of being able to let go of your message once you put it online.

2. How to start a movement – Derek Sivers

Sivers users a clip of a lone dancer at a music festival to explain how to create a movement online. What started as one-person dancing in a field alone, grew to a crowd of people within minutes.

This short 4-minute video highlights the importance of the ‘first follower’ and treating them as equals – placing the importance on the movement and not you. Sivers points out that the first follower has the power to ‘transform the lone-nut, into a leader’.

3. Tim Leberecht – 3 ways to (usefully) lose control of your brand.

Are companies losing control? Leberecht states that the old saying “your brand is what other people say about you when you’re not in the room”, no longer applies. The internet allows companies in ‘that room’ now. How can loss of control about your brand online lead to greater control?

In this enlightening video Leberecht details three big ideas about letting go of your brand’s reputation and how you can turn it into company growth.

4. The surprising habits of original thinkers – Adam Grant.

7 years ago, Adam Grant passed on the opportunity to invest in one of his student’s ideas for a business. That business turned out to be Warby Parker, a vintage-inspired prescription eyeglasses company now valued at $1 billion dollars and named one of the world’s most innovative companies.

Grant decided to find out why he passed on the idea. He labels his former student as an ‘original’. “Originals are non-conformists and drive creativity”. Grant explains how to identify an ‘original’ and how to be a little more like them.

5. Steven Johnson: Where Good Ideas Come From

Steven Johnson discusses marketing and creativity and how the two are fundamentally connected. Johnson doesn’t claim that brilliant ideas are “eureka!” moments, instead he explains shared patterns that can be linked to brilliant, creative ideas.

If you are looking to gain some insight to how to stimulate creativity – this is the video for you.

We hope this list has sparked some creativity within you and will contribute towards your brand’s growth.

If you think there are more videos to add to this list we would love to hear from you in the comments.